September: The Best Month for Gardening

People often think of summer as the gardening season—the delicious tomatoes and zucchinis ripen and dahlias and daisies bloom. You can’t deny that summer is a beautiful season, but in many parts of the country it’s so hot that working in the yard can be unbearable after 10:00 in the morning. That’s why September, with autumn’s moderate temperature and abundant rainfall, may provide the best gardening and yard work conditions.

Here are some great gardening ideas to inspire you this September.

Working with the Leaves:

Fallen leaves in autumn can be a big pain, and perhaps that’s why most people don’t want to work in the yard during September and October. But, these leaves can be a free source of nutrients for your plants. The best way to gather them to be used this way is to pile them onto a large plastic tarp. Then convert the leaves into compost or mulch. To create compost with the leaves, place them inside a simple cylinder container, mix and stir them every few weeks, and the compost will be ready to nourish your landscape in less than a year. For a more immediate nutrient, cut up the leaves and make them into mulch.

Polishing your Lawn:

Autumn offers the best time to prepare your lawn to be lush and healthy come spring. In September you can prepare it for the harsh conditions of winter. Aerate your lawn by punching small holes in the soil every few inches. Grass roots grow rapidly in the summer, but still continue to be active in the fall. Nourish them by applying fertilizer to the lawn, once in September and another time right before the first frost. You can also apply mulch, which improves the health and fertility of your soil while also enhancing the visual appeal of your lawn. Contact us for a great deal on high-quality mulch. You should also think about reseeding bare patches and overseeding sparse patches to give your grass time to flourish without weeds (weeds sprout in the spring). Scratch your lawn with a rake after seeding to ensure the seeds come in contact with the earth.

Planting the Flowers:

If you wait till winter is done to plant your flowers, you will be too late and your garden will be sad and ugly. Don’t procrastinate! If you want beautiful spring bulbs as the frost thaws, you have to think with an autumn mindset. If you love tulips, you need to start planting them in September. The same thing goes for daffodils, snowdrops, and squill. These flowers require cool temperatures to grow. To make your flower bed rich with color come spring, plant in September.